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Like father, like son: Motor City rallies to win Iroquois

Posted: Sunday, October 30, 2011 6:50 PM

To view the Iroquois Stakes, click here.

by Mike Curry

One of jockey Calvin Borel’s most memorable victories came when he guided Street Sense to a come-from-behind win at Churchill Downs in the 2007 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

So it was fitting that Borel was aboard Motor City for his last-to-first win in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) on Sunday that provided freshman sire Street Sense with his first career stakes winner in a style reminiscent of his own.

“He ran like his daddy [Street Sense],” Borel said of the bay gelding who is trained by Ian Wilkes for owner-breeder Lantern Hill Farm. “We knew he was a good one all along and Ian never gave up on him. We hope to be here next year [for the Kentucky Derby].”

Motor City won his second career start in August at Ellis Park after finishing second there in his July debut. He finished third in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3) on the synthetic Polytrack surface at Arlington Park before an eighth-place finish on Keeneland’s Polytrack in the Dixiana Breeders’ Futurity (G1). Perhaps the switch back to dirt keyed a return to top form fro Motor City or maybe, like his sire, he thrives under the Twin Spires. Street Sense won both the 2006 Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and Kentucky Derby at the Louisville track.

Motor City was reserved in seventh through a half-mile in the one-turn mile race before Borel guided him through an opening along the rail. Motor City took care of the rest, overhauling pacesetter Seven Lively Sins for a three-quarter-length win. He completed the distance in 1:37.18 on a track rated as fast, and Wilkes said he will consider the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) on November 26 for Motor City.

“He ran really well today,” Wilkes said. “The race set up like we wanted. Sometimes it works out perfect. We’ll make sure he comes out of the race fine and then we’ll definitely look at the [Kentucky] Jockey Club.”

Motor City is from the first crop of Darley resident stallion Street Sense, who has eight winners from 32 starters from his first crop. Kentucky-bred Motor City is out of the winning Danzig Connection mare Shawgatny, a full sister to Irish and English classic-placed multiple group stakes winner Star of Gdansk. Motor City is a half brother to group stakes-placed stakes winner Satulagi.

For an Equibase chart, click here.